| Freshman Amber Anderson came home with the winning run on Thursday. |
LAKE CHARLES, La. ? Freshman Amber Anderson went 2-for-4 with two RBIs and scored the winning run in the bottom of the seventh on a wild pitch as UTSA rallied for a 5-4 victory over Sam Houston State in the first round of the Southland Conference Tournament held Thursday at Cowgirl Diamond.
With the win, the third-seeded Roadrunners improve to 28-27 on the season and advance to face No. 2 McNeese State at 6:30 p.m. The Bearkats fell to 26-25 and will face elimination at 11 a.m. Friday.
Trailing, 4-3, in the bottom of the seventh, freshman Ashley Kappler singled to left field and Anderson grounded a base hit up the middle to put runners at first and second with no outs. Sophomore Danye Holmes then drew a walk to load the bases for senior Leanne Risberg. The New Orleans native drilled the first pitch she saw from Bearkats starter Brandi Crnkovic through the left side of the infield to plate Kappler from third with the tying run. Then, with a 1-1 count on freshman Caitlyn Ivy, Crnkovic bounced a pitch to the backstop and Anderson just beat the tag at the plate with the winning run.
Risberg went 2-for-4 with a home run and two RBIs, while Kappler, Ivy, juniors Rudi Cantu and Krista Sitka and sophomore Kristin Kappler collected a hit apiece.
Holmes went the distance in the circle, striking out five and allowing four runs on seven hits in running her record to 13-10.
Risberg slugged her sixth home run of the season with one out in the bottom of the second to put UTSA up, 1-0. It was her 31st career long ball, moving her into sole possession on the school’s all-time list.
Sam Houston answered with a run on an infield single by Casie Everitt that plated Kendra Spivey from third.
The Bearkats took a 3-1 lead in the top of the fifth on a two-run double to the right-center field gap by Whitney Wilson.
The Roadrunners responded with a pair of runs in the bottom of the frame. Junior Kelly Cato drew a leadoff walk and Cantu followed with a bunt single. With one down, Anderson pushed both runs home with a double to the warning track in left center.
Sam Houston re-took the lead in the top of the sixth on an RBI-single by Spivey.
Wilson and Everitt led the Bearkats at the plate with two hits each. Crnkovic took the loss to fall to 12-13, surrendering five runs on 10 hits despite eight strikeouts.